Unsung Heroes Blue Version: Latios' Story
by shadowlugia249
Summary: Part 1 of 2. A young boy befriends an ancient creature named Latios. The world is threatened by an evil organization. And Latios has a secret to show Brian... Now updated.


**Unsung Heroes Blue Version: Latios' Story**

_By shadowlugia249_

My name is Latios... or at least that's my name now. I wasn't always in the position that I am today. In fact, I was once like you. I was once... human. But all of that changed when I joined the Tetra Organization. This is the story of how my life was changed forever.

Not too long ago, I was a high school graduate named Brian. I had come to the sunken city of Altomar in search of a job. I ended up joining an undercover agency called "Tetra" and researching a machine called the "World Revolution".

My first job was to search for something called the "Soul Dew". I didn't know what it was then, but this "Soul Dew" would change my life forever. I had been paired with a teenage girl named Ginger in order to find the Soul Dew.

We motored around the flooded canals in a small boat while searching for something called "Latias" or "Latios". Back then, I didn't ask questions; I just did what I was told. We were looking through special binoculars in order to find them. I was told that Latias and Latios were masters of disguise.

"See them yet?" asked Ginger after a while.

"Not yet," I answered. I had yet to find any evidence of these "masters of disguise". "I wish I knew what I was looking for."

"Shut up and keep looking."

I sighed and did as she said. It was not long before I saw a girl with a green shirt and red hair walking by. As usual, I looked through my binoculars and saw...

"Whoa-ho! Jackpot!"

"Where?! Let me see!"

Ginger looked through her binoculars and saw an odd creature in the girl's place. It looked like an odd dragon that was hovering in mid-air. When I lowered the binoculars, I saw the girl in plain sight.

"Hello... Latias," said Ginger, smiling mischievously.

The girl heard her and panicked. She then took off running and Ginger and I jumped out of our boat to give chase. We followed her through the city streets as close as we dared. If anyone looked at us suspiciously, they would probably think that we were police officers. "Latias" disappeared into a dead end somewhere in the heart of the city. We stood there, confused.

"Where'd she go?" wondered Ginger. "We just had her!"

"I don't know."

"I'm going to go retrace our steps. You stay here and see if she comes back."

"Fine," I sighed.

Ginger left and I decided to take a break. That chase had taken a lot out of me, so I decided to lean up against the dead end and catch my breath.

"I wish I could talk to this "Latias". I think that I could convince her to – WHOA... OOF!!!"

I had fallen through the wall like it was made of air! After getting up, I realized that the wall was a fake! Latias had obviously disappeared through it.

I then had a choice to make: go on ahead and check this area out myself or go back and find Ginger so that we could search this area with the rest of Tetra. Against my better judgment, I decided to press on alone.

After a brief darkness, I stepped out into a massive garden full of vegetation and marble ruins. It was really quite a sight to see! The ruins looked old, but well-maintained and the lawns were rich with healthy grass.

Walking around, I saw two people – an old man and a teenage girl – tending to the gardens. They seemed unaware of my presence, so I kept walking. Just then, I heard an odd sound that sounded like a cross between a wail and a bark. A blue dragon-like creature similar to Latias had appeared next to the pair and started to charge at me.

"Latios, stop!" The girl that we were chasing stepped in-between me and the charging dragon and spread out her arms.

The creature named Latios halted in mid-air and stared at the pair of us. His form was similar to Latias' true form that Ginger and I had seen through our binoculars. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn that they were twins. He had a round, leg-less, blue torso with two long, pointed "wings" sprouting from his shoulders. I could tell that these wings weren't used for flapping because they appeared to be made out of solid bone. In the place where a normal creature's legs would be were two jagged, pointed extensions. He obviously didn't need legs _or_ wings because I could see that he had a natural levitating ability that kept him in the air at all times.

Latios' arms were short and thin and had three short, pointed claws on the edge of his "hands", but it looked like he could use them just fine. On the front of his chest was a single, gem-shaped red mark that I saw looked like a cut diamond. At the end of a long, white neck was a head with a circular blue splash under which were two piercing-red eyes. Two pointed, "ear-like" flashes extended from either side of his head to add to his bizarre form.

Latios was "barking" at me while trying to get past the girl that we had chased. I could have sworn that I head a firm voice in my head that said, _Let me at him, Latias! He's seen our secret garden! I don't trust him with what he's seen!_

"No!" said Latias. "He's not like everyone else! He's different than the others!"

_I don't care! All humans are untrustworthy! Let me at him!_

"Latios! Knock it off!" The girl over by the old man came walking over to us. "If Latias trusts him, then so do I!"

Latios turned to glare at the girl but backed off.

"Don't mind him; He's just very protective of their legend."

"Oh... kay..." I didn't know what was going on, but I decided to play along.

"Latias..." The girl turned to the other one. "Where's the Soul Dew?"

Latias gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh! I dropped it in the canal. I'll be right back!" She ran off in the direction of the entrance that I had come through.

_Now what?_ Latios glowered at me but stayed where he was.

"I guess we can trust him," said the old man, coming to check on the commotion. "Latias seemed to like him."

"Are you sure, Grandpa?" The girl was a little suspicious. "He _did_ try to capture Latias."

"If Latias trusts him, Karen, we can't argue with that." He extended his hand and I nervously shook it. "I'm Jacob. It's nice to meet you."

"Uh... Brian."

Latios hovered over to me and lowered his head so that we were eye-to-eye with each other. I couldn't have looked away even if I tried.

_I still don't trust you, human. Let me see into your mind to see if you are as good as my sister says._

"Your... sister?!" That had surprised me to no end.

_Silence! Look at me._

I felt a presence invade my mind. It seemed that Latios was telepathic and he could manipulate people's thoughts. Latios accessed my subconscious and began sifting through my memories and feelings like a file cabinet. He paused every now and then to examine one of my personal thoughts with interest.

"Latios, what are you doing?" Karen looked concerned.

"Karen, shush!" said Jacob, preventing her from stepping forward. "He knows what he's doing."

Latios seemed particularly interested in my job at Tetra.

_You are working with a group that plans to destroy the world._ His voice was full of venom. _If you plan to earn my trust, you would do well to abandon them._

I didn't know what to say. I improvised by letting him continue.

Latios left the rest of my subconscious untouched except for my concern for endangering both Latias and himself. When he was done, we broke eye-contact and he left my mind.

"Well?" asked Karen.

_Latias may trust him, but I certainly do not. He must convince me that he means us no harm before I will change my mind._

_Latios, be nice._

Latias had returned. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that she had taken the form of Latios except her eyes were orange, her body was red and the mark on her chest was a blue triangle.

_There's someone looking for you, Brian._

"Uh-oh. Ginger! I was supposed to capture you, Latias. I'm sorry about this."

Latios crooned with a little purr and picked me up in her arms. I was a little surprised to see my feet leave the ground.

_Don't worry. We'll make sure that she doesn't find out about us._

"How are you going to do that?"

Latias smiled and set me down in the city well outside the garden._ Some things are best forgotten._

I was about to ask what she meant when my mind went completely blank and I remembered no more.

"Brian? Brian! Wake up, idiot!"

I came to while lying in the middle of an abandoned street with Ginger looking at me. She appeared to be extremely ticked off.

"Ginger?"

"Where have you been?! I've been searching all over town for you! I thought I told you to stay put! What have you been doing this whole time?!"

I thought about it for a moment. What _have_ I been doing this whole time? I remember standing in that alley and then... nothing! My mind was drawing a complete blank!

"I... don't remember."

Apparently, this wasn't the answer Ginger was looking for. She let out a groan and threw her hands up in the air.

"You're worthless! I don't know why they assigned me such a worthless partner!" She slapped me across the face and stormed off.

What the heck was _that_ for?! I was trying my hardest to do my job, but she apparently didn't think that I was doing that well. Well, if she didn't want my help, then forget her! I'll find Latias and Latios by myself!

I gathered my things that Ginger had thrown of the boat before she sped off. I might as well start fresh and look for Latias and Latios for my own benefit. The only problem was... where do I start looking?

I finally decided to head to a boat race at the edge of the Altomar canals. I had heard that Latias and Latios couldn't help showing up to watch the races.

I secretly kept my infrared binoculars in my coat pocket so that I could search for Latias and Latios on my own time. Somehow, I had a feeling that neither Latias nor Latios could resist a boat race. After looking around the crowd, though, I realized that neither of them was in the vicinity...

..or _were_ they?

I spotted an odd shape in the back of the crowd. It looked like something had camouflaged itself and was observing the boat race from the rear of the crowd. If I had to describe it, it would have to be a figure that had "blended" into the surrounding area so that the light rolled off the shape, giving it a transparent look. When I looked through my binoculars, though, it only confirmed my suspicions.

It was Latias! I couldn't believe my luck! Its dragonish form was clearly visible through the special filter in my binoculars. In order to make myself appear normal, I casually walked up to the crowd and tried not to look at Latias' camouflaged form.

Most unfortunately, my thoughts gave me away. Latias must be psychic or something because it looked directly at me and made to fly away. I sighed in disappointment. I was _so_ close to getting a good look at it!

But then, Latios halted in mid-air and appeared to be looking down at me.

_You have a very bad habit of finding me._

Did I just hear that correctly? Did Latias just "speak" to me through my thoughts?

_I most certainly did._

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Latias was reading my mind!

_I suppose I can let this one slide. After all, you weren't chasing after me this time._ Latias glanced at the crowd from above. _Follow me._

I did so. Even with my speed, I had a hard time keeping up with it. Latias settled down under an overpass and I bent over, gasping for breath.

_You didn't have any problems chasing me before._ Latias had a hint of curiosity in its voice. _By the way, I'm a "she", not an "it"._

I blinked. "Will you cut that out?! You're creeping me out with that mind-reading ability of yours! And can you show yourself? I feel like I'm talking to the wind."

_I don't see why not._

The light around Latias flickered and she revealed herself. She looked the same as I described her before... but I didn't know that.

"You're... strange-looking," I said uncertainly. "Are you a dragon?"

Latias reached up with her thin arms and scratched behind her ears. _You could say that. My mother was a dragon. I'm more of a cross between my father, Lugia, and my mother, Dragonite. What did you humans call us...?_

"A "hybrid"?" I suggested.

_That's it!_ Latias hovered around me, examining me curiously. All the while she let out a cross between a purr and a coo. _You haven't changed at all since I last saw you._

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. How do you know me to begin with?"

Latias crooned and allowed me to stroke her neck.

_You "accidentally" ran into my brother and me a few days ago. To make sure that you kept our secret, Latios made me wipe your memory._

_But he's not here right now._ She looked around to make sure that we were alone. _If you want, I can remove the memory wipe and restore your memories from that day._

"Uh..." I didn't know that she could do that. "Sure. I would like to remember what went on that day... if it's all right with you."

_Okay!_ She came in close to me and put a clawed hand on my head. _Hold still. I need to concentrate._

I did so. Latias closed her amber eyes and I immediately felt a second "presence" in my mind. Speaking through thoughts and manipulating thoughts are two different things. When speaking, Latias sends her words into my head from a distance. In order to actually enter my mind, she projects her consciousness directly into my brain. This second method made me feel slightly uncomfortable, as if my mind was locked in a loose clamp.

Latias dove deep into my memory bank and disappeared from my detection. She had obviously gone somewhere where I couldn't sense her – the forgotten memories locked deep in my mind.

I watched her hovering there for a while until I felt her resurface again. In her possession were several memories that appeared to have been removed from my memory bank. She then went about repairing the white space in my memory so that I remembered everything that had gone on in that garden just a few days earlier.

Once she was done, Latias withdrew herself from my mind and returned to her own body. She opened her eyes and smiled.

_That was quite a search,_ she said, her face showing some slight tiredness. _I obviously don't know my own strength. Those memories were really difficult to find._

"I'm just glad you found them." I returned to stroking her smooth neck. "My life feels more complete with those memories. Thanks!"

_No problem. Just don't tell Latios that I did that; he wouldn't like that._

She crooned a little while I stroked her neck for a while. She was clearly enjoying the feeling.

_I haven't done this for countless years. I almost forgot the feeling altogether. You have very gentle hands._

But before I could say thank you, she looked up at the buildings in the direction of the boat race and sighed.

_I'm sorry, I have to go. Latios is violating a young girl's private thoughts. I'll see you again sometime._

Latias became transparent again and flew off. I watched her until she turned a corner and vanished from sight. I was glad that I had my memories back and that I had made friends with a legendary creature.

"Aha! I _knew_ you had something to do with them!"

My heart all but stopped. Ginger jumped down from a balcony where she had been spying on our conversation. I couldn't believe that my own former teammate had seen everything that went on between Latias and me.

"Ginger! What are you doing here?!"

Ginger sneered and showed me her Tetra binoculars. "I've been following you ever since I ran off. Giovanni had a feeling that you had something to do with those Lati, and now I can prove it!"

"You wouldn't _dare_!"

"I _would_ dare. But..." She trailed off. "I suppose I can let this slide _if_ you help me catch them _both_."

Blackmail, is it?

"I would _never_ betray a friend! Your offer has fallen on deaf ears!"

Ginger shrugged and turned away. "Fine, be that way. But just remember what Giovanni said about traitors and our... _ahem_... Hybrid program."

Oh... my... god. Not that! Tetra had been researching exotic creatures and injecting their DNA into humans to create hybrids. Unfortunately, none of the "volunteers" so far have survived, so it was considered a punishment at this point.

"NO!!! I... I... I'll do what you want."

Ginger smiled malevolently. "I thought you'd come to your senses. Now come on!"

She ran off in the direction that Latias had flown off in with me regretfully following behind her. I had no choice to go along with her until things tipped in my favor.

I caught up to her at the boat races. The boats were ready to go, but that's not why she was there. She was looking through her binoculars at something on the other side of the canal. I looked through mine and saw not one, but _both_ Lati conversing with a teenage girl with a green shirt and red hair. This must have been the girl that Latias had gone to retrieve the Soul Dew from.

"Jackpot!" whispered Ginger, looking smug. "Latias and Latios, hook, line and sinker! When they leave, we're going to follow them to their hideout. They'll have the Soul Dew with them."

I sighed. I couldn't believe that I was going to betray a friend just to save my _own_ hide. That was a new low even for me.

Just then, Latios flew off followed quickly by Latias. That was our cue. Ginger ran off back to a boat that she had hidden somewhere. I looked in the direction of the girl and flinched. She saw me! I had to move now!

"Are you kidding?!"

Ginger had what looked like a shotgun in her hand and gave me an identical one. We were going to kill them just to get the Soul Dew?

"Why must we always solve everything with violence?"

"They're high-powered stun guns, numbskull! They're supposed to keep them alive so that we can take it back to our hideout. Sheesh! Now move it!"

I followed Ginger to the alley where I had found Latias' and Latios' garden. She had disappeared through the false wall and I followed her.

What happened next took only a few minutes, but it seemed like forever. Latias and Latios were conversing with the old man, Jacob, and his granddaughter, Karen, and had left themselves exposed and visible. Ginger then took aim at one of them and fired a stun shot at them. Fortunately, Latias saw it coming and dove out of the way. Latios, however, wasn't so lucky. He took the full force of the shot and fell from the air.

"Latios!" shouted Jacob, running to his aid.

Fortunately, Latios recovered and charged Ginger, who raised her gun again.

_I knew you humans were not to be trusted!_ screamed Latios, charging up a ray of psychic energy. _Take this!_

Ginger managed to avoid the Luster Purge and returned fire at Latios. However, _Latias_ came out of nowhere and took the full force of the shot. She fell in a heap but managed to crawl away from Ginger's line of fire.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ginger screamed at me. "Fire the net!"

I nervously raised my shotgun and took aim at Latios. I would probably pay for this later, but I fired the capture net at him. A net of red energy flew from the gun and surrounded Latios, pinning his arms to his side and rendering his levitating ability useless.

"Do we _always _have to ruin everyone's plans?" I called to Ginger. "Even _I_ think this is rotten!"

"Quit complaining!" she barked at me. "We could score big bonuses with these Lati!"

Meanwhile, the girl that I saw in the boat races came running into the garden. She saw the chaos that Ginger and I were causing and froze in her place. Fortunately, Ginger didn't see her.

_Flee, Latias! _cried Latios. _Get out of here!_

_No! I... won't... leave you!_

Latias struggled to fly to her fallen brother but was spotted by Ginger. Fortunately, she didn't have the net gun – _I_ did – _and_ she was out of ammo. While reloading, she screamed at me, "Get it, Brian! Get it!"

I wrestled with my conscience on this one. Which was more important: my own human life or the life of a creature that kept the balance of the world?

"What's the matter with you?! Catch it!!!"

I then decided that I might as well screw the consequences of my actions and go for broke. I turned the stun gun on my "partner" and fired.

Before she knew what hit her, Ginger was on the ground, unconscious and stunned. I then yelled at the girl and Latios.

"Get out of here! I'll deal with this! Move!"

Latias managed to look my in the eyes from her fallen brother.

_Thank... you... Brian. I knew... you were good._

She then took to the air and grabbed the girl by her shoulders. I watched in disbelief as she lifted her into the air and flew off in the direction of the city limits. After they were out of sight, I ran over to Latios, pulled a knife from my pocket and tried to pry the net from his body.

Latios, however, wasn't going quietly. He struggled and squirmed to free himself.

"Don't do that!" I told him. "You'll only hurt yourself more!"

_Why...?_ Latios slowed his struggling and looked at me with his piercing red eyes. _Why are you helping me, human?_

"I never wanted to hurt you from the start. I was dragged into this against my will!"

But as I started to cut the net, Latios struggled harder.

_I don't believe you! You just sent my sister into a waiting trap, didn't you?! You're just like everyone else!_

"I am _not_! I want to help you! And I can't do it if you don't hold still!"

I reached out with my hand to touch Latios' neck to try to calm him, but he swatted it away with his thrashing head.

_Don't touch me, slime! You were lucky to be able to touch my sister, but you will not lay a hand on me!_

"I don't care what you say – I'm not leaving you here to be captured by Tetra! If you want to kill me when I free you, then fine! Until then, I'm going to try to free you!"

Latios halted in his struggling and looked at me. He appeared to have an epiphany.

_You would sacrifice your own life to save another?_

"Of course! Your fate is going to be _much_ worse than mine if either of us get caught."

Latios was at a loss for words. _Latias was right – you _are_ different than the others. I thank you for your efforts._

"No problem. Now, hold still. I've almost got it."

But just as I was about to free Latios, Ginger managed to recover and shoot me with the stun gun she still had in her hand. My entire body froze up as every muscle in my body was paralyzed. I lost consciousness rather quickly. I had been _so_ close...

My dreams took place in the skies above Altomar. I looked down on the city below me and saw a group of figures looking up at me. It looked like Jacob, Karen, Latias and a strange behemoth bird-like creature with silver-white skin.

They were counting on me to do it. The world was about to come to an end and I was the only one who had the ability to stop it. It was my destiny...

As I flew headlong into the dried-up ocean bed, my worst fears were confirmed. A massive wave no shorter than 300 feet was heading my way. Despite my weakened state, I had a job to do.

I stopped well ahead of the rouge wave and confronted it. This was it; there was no turning back.

_Latios!_

Latios? Were they talking to me? I thought my name was Brian.

_Latios!_

They _were_ talking to me! My name... was Latios?

_Latios, wake up!_

I can't. I have a job to do!

_Latios, please wake up!_

"Latios, please! You have to wake up and open your eyes!"

I woke up in a glass cylinder. After some confusion, I realized that I was inside Tetra's Specimen Lab. To my left was another cylinder with...

"Latios!"

The blue dragon-creature was suspended in mid-air in the cell, clearly unconscious. He looked pretty banged up from mine and Ginger's attack on their garden. But the last thing I remembered was that Latios had been awake before I blacked out.

"Brian! You need to get Latios to open his eyes!"

I turned around and saw that Jacob and Karen were locked up in similar glass cells nearby. Karen had been trying to wake up Latios for the past 30 minutes.

"Why does he need to open his eyes?" I wondered.

"Latias and Latios are connected to each other through their minds. If Latios can open his eyes, he can project his vision to Latias so that she can find him. It's called "Sight Sharing"."

"That ingenious. I never knew that animals could do that."

"Latias and Latios are no ordinary animals," said Jacob. "They are the son and daughter of the legendary god and goddess, Lugia and Dragonite. When the two of them went into suspended animation, they left Latias and Latios to watch over the world while they slept."

"But Dragonite was killed before she could be reawakened," Karen added. "They were devastated but vowed to keep their duties as Guardians of the Planet."

"But where does the Soul Dew fit into all of this?" I asked, suddenly remembering the orb that Latias had retrieved once.

"Before Dragonite died," continued Karen. "She sealed her soul inside a glass ball called the "Soul Dew". It contained enough power to power the World Revolution. Should it ever be activated again, she made Latios her heir. If it was ever reactivated, Latios would have the duty to recreate the Soul Dew."

"We were given the task of protecting them," Jacob sighed. "But we failed. Now if Tetra gets their hands on the Soul Dew, the world as we know it could fall apart."

_I've wished... against this... from the start._

Latios had finally woken up. He was still exhausted.

"Latios! You're awake!" Jacob was relieved. "Quick! You need to use your Sight Sharing to contact Latias!"

_Of course... I'll try._

Latios' eyes seemed to turn into miniature televisions. Using his psychic powers, he projected an entire vision around the room. We were looking through the eyes of Latias, obviously. She was obviously in the outskirts of Altomar and was looking at a strange sight. The tattered remains of the girl from the boat race's clothes were scattered around the ground. It was as if the girl had suddenly... grown out of them.

It was then that I heard Latias and Latios' voices through the vision.

_You... are not... my sister,_ said Latios, uncertainly. _What has happened to her?_

_Latias was really weak and didn't make it,_ said Latias' voice. _Before she died, she transferred her powers to me in order to save her legacy._

_I see. I never thought the day would come when we would have to perform the Crossover. Thank you... Latias. Please find us... before it's too late._

Latios didn't have enough energy to maintain the connection and the vision ended when he closed his eyes. When he recovered, he spoke to me directly.

_Brian... What you did in order to try to save my sister and I was phenomenal. I always thought humans were not to be trusted. Obviously, I was wrong. What you did was the bravest thing I had ever seen from one of your kind._

Suddenly, a wave of blue energy coursed through Latios' body.

"Latios!!!" Karen nearly screamed. "What's happening to you?!"

_My time... is over. I must... pass on... my legacy._ Latios was struggling to breathe as he looked in my direction. _Brian... I cannot free you... but I ask... no... I _beg_ that you accept my blessing. Will you take my burden and undergo the Crossover?_

I was considering this decision when another wave of blue energy coursed through Latios' body. I guess I didn't have a choice in the matter – Latios was dying!

"I'll... I'll do it!"

Latios nodded his head and turned to face Karen and Jacob.

_Karen... Jacob... you have cared for me all your life and seen many of my powers. Now... witness my final sacrifice to young Brian. Witness the legendary Crossover Ritual!_

He turned back to face me and closed his eyes. His body began glowing a solid blue color that intensified until a ray of it separated from his body, flew across the room and slammed into me.

Instantly, my brain went completely blank. I was lifted a few inches into the air as my life changed forever. My body began to undergo a series of transformations starting with my head, neck and upper chest. The former shifted the form of its bones with a strange _crunch_ so that it resembled Latios'. My eyes changed from their green tint to a piercing red while two pointed "ears" grew from my skull and pointed upwards. A donut-shaped blue splash appeared on my head while my hair seemed to disappear.

Along with my head, I could "feel" my neck starting to elongate and grow. Normally, the pain this transformation would be unbearable, but Latios kept the pain from reaching my brain. The skin on my neck became pale white and as smooth as leather.

Next to change was my torso area. My shirt was ripped to shreds as my stomach area filled out to match Latios' wide lower torso. Neither Latias nor Latios were fat – they just had large "waists". The skin on my torso turned a bright blue color and a red gem-shaped symbol appeared on my chest.

Two pointed "wings" began pushing out of my shoulders next. They were either made of solid bone or solid cartilage because Latios didn't need to flap them in order keep in the air. Also, my arms seemed to thin out and shrink a little. They were small, but unlike a T-rex, they could reach up to my neck normally and my head if I tucked my neck down a little. I could feel my fingers receding into the "pad" and three small, sharp claws took their place.

Last to change was my lower area. My legs receded into my body and two short, jagged growths took their place. However, I didn't need legs to get around in my new form. Latios had the natural ability to levitate about two feet off the ground in addition to flight. Land transportation was so... meaningless now.

While my body was changing shape, my mind had been unlocked to allow many more things into it. I began to understand how the world worked, how life ran its course and many more things. Topics that had stumped scholars, geologists, scientists and whatnot such as the "meaning of life", unsolved murders and every last hidden location on earth became common knowledge to me. Latios was sending me countless generations of knowledge that he had spent his whole life learning directly to me. I nearly went insane with the wealth of knowledge that Latios was passing onto me and I probably would have had I been conscious at the time.

While my mind was converting to match my new form, my entire personality changed with it. Anything that I had accomplished in my life amounted to absolutely nothing. My fear of drowning and heights became insignificant. After all, what could water and gravity do to me, a god? The only thing left of my former life was what made me... me. It was clearly a life-changing experience for me.

Finally, my mind came back into focus and Latios released the blue beam connecting him and me. As I hovered in my cell, recovering, Jacob and Karen looked on in disbelief. I could understand their amazement. If the sight of Latios siphoning his power into me didn't leave you speechless then the sight of _two_ Latios in the same room was a real eye-opener.

Latios looked at me with tried eyes. He had obviously exhausted all of his power to turn me into himself.

_The Crossover... is complete. You are now a Latios. And I..._

I watched as Latios' form shifted more fluid-like than I did into... Was I seeing this right? Latios had turned into... me! He had turned into a carbon copy of my former self.

"Latios?" wondered Jacob.

"No... Not "Latios" anymore." He spoke using my exact voice! "My name... is Brian... and I have fulfilled my purpose."

_But... I'm Brian!_ I flinched when I realized that I was talking in a psychic voice.

Latios shook his head. "You're Latios now. The sooner you accept it, the better you'll survive in this world. I must depart now... from this world... May Lugia's wings... grant you... a speedy flight. Good... bye... Latios!"

Latios did not die and leave a corpse. Instead, he seemed to dissolve into millions of tiny green lights that drifted through the glass and through the ceiling of the lab.

Latios... no... _Brian_ had left this world. I realized now why I was given this great gift – I had a responsibility to do.

And with that, I cast aside the name "Brian" and took my new place in the world... as Latios.

There was just one problem – I was still locked up! To remedy said situation, I focused my energy on the glass in front of me to a single point. The energy gathered at my maw and I held it there until it reached critical. When it did, I let it out with a blast, shattering the glass chamber and releasing myself.

I was free!

"Good job, Bri... er, Latios!" said Karen, jumping for joy. "Could you help us out here?"

_Gladly._ I turned to Jacob and Karen's cells and began to focus my energy.

Just then, the alarm kicked in. It couldn't have picked a worse time to go off.

"Warning! Warning! Security breach in Sector Three! Warning! Warning! Security breach in Sector Three!"

"Hurry, Latios!" barked Jacob.

_Right._

Since charging my energy would take too long, I tried a different tactic. Reaching out with my mind, I stared at the glass chambers until my concentration was so powerful that my eyes began to glow a bright blue and I released my focus into a single, powerful Psychic blast.

The chambers shattered but I kept the glass shards from flying everywhere by freezing the time around them, thus allowing them to clatter to the floor harmlessly.

"Not bad," said Jacob, hugging his granddaughter once they were free of their prisons. "Not bad at all."

I was about to thank him when my mind picked up the presence of footsteps approaching.

_Come on! There's a different way out of here. Follow me!_

I floated over to a panel in the floor and used my claws to dig in the thin crack that ran around the tile, revealing a narrow chute. Karen looked concerned.

"That chute's not big enough for you to fit in!"

_Don't worry about me,_ I reassured her. _I'll find a different way out. Now, go!_

"Be careful, Latios."

Karen went first. I heard her screaming all the way down the chute where, as I'm told, ends up in a canal somewhere nearby in Altomar. Jacob soon followed and they disappeared from view.

I could hear the footsteps drawing closer. Due to my size and the fact that the door was the only other way out, I was trapped like a rat.

Just then, my Latios instincts kicked in. Of course! It seemed so simple now! I decided to take a chance with it. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the image of my boss, Giovanni. I felt my body shift forms to match his.

Success! I had utilized an ancient Lati ability to perfection: Shape Shifting. Hopefully, no one would be able to tell it was me.

Just then, the door to the lab burst open. I then realized the flaw in my plan. Giovanni was at the head of the group and was looking directly at himself!

"What the—?!" Giovanni was speechless.

I went with my gut on this one. "What are you doing mimicking me, Latios?!"

"_I'm_ mimicking _you_?! That's a load of bull! You're mimicking _me_!" He turned to the group armed with stun guns. "Shoot him!!!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" I mimed Giovanni flawlessly. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stun _him_ instead of me!"

"That's a _lie_!" Giovanni was beside himself. "I've been with you the whole time!"

"How do you know that you didn't disguise yourself before you reached them... Latios?"

"LATIOS?! I'm Giovanni – Head of Tetra! _You're_ the Latios here!"

"Nice try, faker! _You_ set those people and me – er, Latios free!"

Whoops.

"Aha!" bellowed Giovanni. "I knew it! Shoot him!"

I could have kicked myself... if I had any legs to do so. Realizing that my cover was blown, I spun in the air and returned to my true form.

_I'd watch it if I were you! My power is _not_ to be messed with. Watch!_

I focused my concentration and slammed a wave of Psychic energy into the head of the group. Next, completely on instinct, I took a deep breath and blew out a stream of static-filled Dragonbreath. The cloud spread out and stunned anyone it touched. Thankfully, the ranks thinned out enough for me to risk charging through the door and into the hallway.

I flew through the hallways in the direction of the exit. I was able to fit in the hallway because I was only five feet tall plus a foot or two hovering above the ground, give or take. I tried to flatten my wings to fly faster, but there wasn't enough width for me to do so. However, I was deeper inside the complex than I thought because I soon ran into heavier security.

"Latios has escaped!" bellowed Giovanni over the loudspeaker. "Do _not_ let it get away! I want it alive!"

Why he wanted me alive evaded me for the moment; I just wanted to get out of this building. Anyone that got in my way was either bowled over by my charging frame or got a serious clothesline across the neck by my solid wings.

I was almost to the entrance when I made a slight miscalculation in my route, thus turning into a dead end.

Uh-oh. I was trapped!

I made to turn around and ran straight into a blockade of Tetra members armed with stun guns. I was about to admit defeat when I remembered Latios' sacrifice. He would _not_ want me to just quit! No... If I was going down, I was going down fighting!

_Bring it on, Jethro!_

I charged at the group with my eyes flashing. Everyone raised their guns to fire...

That was the last thing I remembered before I woke up in a different lab somewhere in the complex. I realized that I had been captured again, but no worries. I'll just break out again!

However, when I tried to focus my power on the glass chamber, I found that I couldn't concentrate. My mind was reeling and I couldn't remember how to use my abilities. It was like skydiving from 20,000 feet and trying to land on a pinhead!

I then realized that something was around my neck. Feeling it with one of my clawed hands, I realized that it was made of metal and had various lights and wires on it.

Damn it! It was one of Tetra's mind-scrambling collars. We had been working on them to prevent Latias and Latios from using their psychic abilities while in captivity. Apparently, they had forgotten to put it on me when I was captured earlier.

_Great,_ I said to myself. _Just _great

Oh well... I might as well get used to this place. I was obviously going to be here for a while.

After a while in the cell, my attention was roaming around the room. Looking in no particular direction, I saw something that made be feel relieved and horrorstruck at the same.

My "sister", Latias had been captured and was unconscious in a glass cylinder to my left. I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen her and that she had been captured as well. She must have been brought in mere minutes after I went down in the complex!

I tried to contact her. Thankfully, the collars did not prevent me from speaking telepathically across the room.

_Latias?_ I "whispered". _Latias! Hey, wake up!_

For a minute, she didn't appear to have heard me, but then she stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

_Ohh... where am I? I feel like I forgot my parachute on an important skydive._

_You're inside Tetra Headquarters._

Latias then realized that she was captured and felt the glass around her. She then noticed me.

_Latios? Brother?_

I shook my head. _I'm not sure... I've gone through a lot of weird things ever since Latios turned me into him._

Latias blinked and put her hands on the glass, as if she was remembering something.

_I saw you in the Lati's garden. You're that boy that shot his partner so that Latias and I could escape!_

Looking at her, I then realized who this was. _And you're that girl that I saw Latias carry out of the garden!_

_Yeah... I'm Terra... uh, I suppose it's "Latias" now._

_Brian... er, "Latios", I guess. It's nice to meet you for the first time._

_You too._ She looked around her surroundings. _Why are we locked up in here?_

I sighed and told her. I guess I had nothing to lose. _A secret organization called "Tetra" plan to use the both of us to power the World Revolution in downtown Altomar and conquer the world._

_What do they need us for? I thought they needed the Soul Dew to... do... that..._

Suddenly, Terra/Latias started to panic. She appeared to be doing some fancy Latias yoga in order to look at the blue triangle symbol on her chest. Apparently, she didn't like what she saw.

_Where's the Soul Dew?! I thought I had it!_

I sighed and looked to my right. I had noticed the glass ball locked up in a glass case earlier. Latias tried to concentrate and reach the Soul Dew, but appeared to be distracted and confused. I noticed that she had a collar similar to mine around her neck.

_What's going on here? I can't use my powers!_

_It's one of Tetra's mind-scrambling collars, _I told her_. I've got one, too. See?_

I messed with the collar around my neck and she realized that she had one, too. She suddenly seemed outraged.

_Humans can be so cruel to us Lati!_

But I had to disagree. _Once you look past the Tetra, they're not all that bad. Latios _did_ tell me what he thought about me sacrificing myself in order to save him and his sister._

_And...?_

_He said it was the bravest thing that he had ever seen a human do before._

_Oh._

While we were conversing, we were interrupted when the door to the lab opened and my former boss, Giovanni, walked in.

"Well, well, well... they finally managed to round up the two of you. That's quite a relief, since we need both Lati and this..." Without looking at it, he tapped the Soul Dew case. "...in order to find... others like you."

_There are more Lati out there?_ said Latias automatically.

Giovanni smiled. "Not Lati, but there are rumored to be more creatures of your... what's the word... "status" that would help us reach our "ideal"."

With a sudden realization, I had a feeling I knew who he was talking about.

_Who are they? How do you know that they exist?_

Giovanni shrugged. "I'll let you know that our research department is extremely well-funded. But that's not important now. "What _is_ important is that we need both of you to help us find them."

_We would _never_ help you!_ said both Latias and I and the same time.

Giovanni chuckled and pressed a button on a nearby control panel. "I'm sorry, but whether you help or not is irrelevant. Now, rest easy tonight; we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow night."

He had activated a stream of sweet-smelling sleeping gas. It poured into our chambers and we were feeling extremely tired. I tried to stay awake, but my eyelids slid slowly shut and I was out like a light.

I didn't wake up until later the following night. Giovanni had escorted my sister and me to a pair of pads in the World Revolution Museum. Somehow, they had managed to recapture Jacob and Karen as well and they had them locked in a steel cage in the same room.

While asleep, I could feel my energy being drained as the World Revolution used it and Latias' own to power it. I was becoming weaker and weaker by the minute and would soon be unable to move.

However, I heard the sounds of commotion and managed to get my eyes open. Latias had somehow broken free of the machine's hold and the collar around her neck and had taken to the air.

_Latias...?_

_I'm coming, brother!_

She was trying to break my own collar when I felt the machine increase its power, drawing even more power from my already weakened body. The World Revolution was finally in full swing and Giovanni had just placed the Soul Dew on its pedestal.

_No way!_ cried Latias. _How can you...?!_

"I lied! I only need _one_ of you to keep this machine running!" He let out a dark laugh and the machine lowered its cockpit down for him to climb in.

Latias looked worriedly at me. I was now hovering in the air above my pad against my will and the machine had increased its suction on my power. I was completely helpless – _nothing_ could save me now...

...or _was_ there? I suddenly realized that there was still one creature out that shut down the World Revolution permanently. It was a long shot, but it was my last hope.

_Go, Latias! You must find Lugia before it's too late for me!_

_Who's Lugia...?_

_Our father! Altomar's _true_ Guardian! Go!_

She needed no second bidding. She flew off just as Giovanni said, "Oh no, you don't! Initiate city lockdown!"

The door sealed up with a metallic mesh just milliseconds after Latias exited the museum.

_Godspeed... sister._

The pain reached a point that I was no longer able to keep my eyes open. I strayed in and out of consciousness for the next hour.

While I was out, I could sense that Latias had found Lugia in a negative version of our world. There was still hope for the planet.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Karen were shouting at me to get me to wake up and open my eyes. Somehow, something had tipped them off that Latias had returned with Lugia. I tried to open my eyes so that I could Sight Share with her, but I just didn't have the strength to do so.

While their shouts went unanswered, Giovanni had gone berserk with power. He had programmed the World Revolution to gather the water in Altomar's streets and flood the city with one fell swoop.

I knew that I had to open my eyes. If I didn't, Lugia would never know the danger that I was in and the world would most certainly come to an end.

"Come on, Latios!" Karen was almost in tears. "We believe in you! You have to try and open your eyes! The fate of the world depends on you. Please, Latios! You have to _open your eyes_!"

I _knew_ I had to; I just _couldn't_.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of energy in my heart coming from an unknown source. It was as if my "father" was reaching out with his heart to lend me his energy. I had to do it; I could not fail this time!

With a tremendous effort, I managed to pry my eyes open and concentrate my energy into sending Latias my vision. My eyes became miniature TVs again and Latias' surroundings were projected into the surrounding area.

We were looking at an impressive sight. I had never seen Lugia before, but I felt as if I had known him forever. He was a god-like creature that only projected one word into my mind.

_Father..._

Lugia was at _least_ 15 feet tall and about 20 feet from the tip of his tail to the top of his head. He had the form of some great bird of destiny with massive broad, flipper-like wings with five, flat "fingers" not unlike a human hand held to his sides. If he had held them above his head, he would have appeared to be about 20 feet tall! Lugia's smooth, silver-white skin shone brightly and flawlessly in the moonlight. I had expected feathers, but his skin was so smooth and rubbery that he looked more like a whale than a bird.

On a rather round belly was a round, sky-blue mark with a slight V-shape in it. Below that were two short, powerful, digitigrade legs and feet tipped with three rounded toes each. Along our father's spine were five rectangular navy-blue plates on each side of his back. To top it all off, his long, thick, flexible tail had two razor-sharp, navy-blue spikes. If he had enough room, Lugia could flatten a redwood tree with one good whack.

At the end of a long, smooth neck was a pointed head with a powerful nose-like beak with four razor-sharp incisors that could crush a coconut with one good bite. But that's not what amazed me. Around each of his narrow, navy-blue eyes was a pointed blue "mask" that made him even more intimidating.

But if you saw Lugia for the first time, you would probably be able to tell that he did not intend to be intimidating. His face was stone-firm but his eyes radiated kindness and bravery. He was the living, breathing symbol of leadership, hope, fate and light among other things.

Jacob and Karen saw that I finally had my eyes open and called out for Latias to hear.

"Latias!" shouted Jacob. "If you are hearing this, bring Lugia here! Giovanni has gone insane and he's about to destroy the world! Hurry up and get over here and shut down the World Revolution before it's too late!"

Lugia obviously heard them because he nodded his head and turned to us. However, any further contact was cut short. I was in too much pain to keep the connection going and shut my eyes, blacking out from extreme fatigue.

When I woke next, Latias and Lugia had reached the museum and had confronted Giovanni in the World Revolution

"Well, well, well..." sneered my former boss from inside the cockpit. "Time _does_ fly! Threatening the planet seems to have gotten your attention."

_What?!_ Latias cried in disbelief. _You only used us to get to Lugia?! You put the planet in danger just to get at our father?!_

_It's not the first time that this has happened,_ said Lugia, seemingly unconcerned. He had a firm yet kind psychic voice._ Leave this to me._

"We'll just see about that!" snapped Giovanni.

He moved the cockpit of the World Revolution to face Lugia. A loud whirring noise sounded from it as it started building a charge. If I wasn't seeing things, Giovanni was about to attack him! However, Lugia seemed to be looking possible death in the face with a stone-cold expression on his face. Once fully charged, Giovanni fired a ray of violet energy at Lugia's heart. I closed my eyes against the inevitable.

When I opened them again, I saw that Lugia had taken the blast... and had stopped it! He was completely unscathed! What's more, he had transferred the energy into a single point in his open mouth.

_Wrong move, Giovanni,_ said Lugia menacingly._ You should have known that the World Revolution has no effect on its creator. Now it's time that I shut down this evil machine... PERMANENTLY!!!_

By flicking his head, Lugia fired the energy directly at the heart of the World Revolution. It resembled a ray of clear, concentrated wind – "Aeroblast," said my instincts. By moving his head slightly, he was able to increase the damage like slicing clay with a cleaver. The machine overloaded with energy and self-destructed with a massive BOOM!!! Giovanni's cockpit detached from the main machine and crashed to the ground, automatically ejecting him in the process.

After countless years of intimidation, the World Revolution's legacy was no more.

_Latios!_ Latias floated over to me. I had been released when the machine had lost power. I could barely move, but I could feel my self-regeneration kicking in. Since my injuries were more energy-based that body-based, it was only a matter of time before I fully recovered.

"Latias! Latios!" Jacob and Karen came running to our side to check on us. Jacob took my arm in his hands and checked my heart rate. "He's okay. All he needs is some rest."

I managed to open my eyes again and look up at my saviors. They were a little fuzzy and I could barely make them out.

_La... tias...? Fa... ther...?_

Lugia sidled over to us and placed a massive wing on my shoulders. _Rest easy, Latios... son. You have gone through a difficult ordeal tonight. Don't worry; we will watch over you during your recovery._

Everyone was so concerned with my safety that we failed to notice Giovanni heading in the direction of the Soul Dew. The blue flames inside the glass ball had turned a shady-looking black.

Suddenly, Lugia and Jacob spotted him. "DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!" they said at the same time.

But it was too late. As soon as Giovanni touched it, the Soul Dew exploded into a shockwave of violet energy, causing the ground to quake. With one move, all hell had been unleashed.

"I don't like the looks of this," said Karen, running outside. "The world is about to fall apart."

Despite the shaking ground, the rest of us followed her and saw, beyond all belief that the water in the city canals had disappeared and dried up.

_The sea is gathering up for a massive flood,_ said Lugia in a grave tone. _We must halt the chaos unleashed on the world and rebuild the Soul Dew before it's too late._

What can we possibly do? Latias asked him.

_I..._ Lugia didn't know what to say. _I never anticipated this. I always thought that the Soul Dew would remain intact. Unfortunately, I failed to prevent this from happening._ He hung his head in self-defeat.

It was then that my dream came back to me. Latios had been bound to the Soul Dew since his birth and he had entrusted me with the task of fixing it in the event that it shattered.

_No... I can still... stop this chaos._ I was personally fighting overwhelming fatigue. _I was entrusted with keeping the Soul Dew safe and I must do what I must to repair it._

_What are you talking about?!_ Latias didn't want to believe me.

I looked her square in the eyes and took her hand in mine.

_I am sorry... Latias... Father... but I must fulfill my destiny._ I then turned and flew off to confront the impending doom that was racing towards Altomar, leaving two humans and two legendary creatures to watch me.

As I pushed my already overworked body to the limit, I could see a massive 300-foot wave over the horizon. Apparently, all the water in the area surrounding Altomar had been gathering to create this one wall of doom. _That's_ why I could see the ocean bed around Altomar within a two-mile radius.

I stopped less that 100 yards from the oncoming wave and stood firm. The water was coming closer – it was now or never. Closing my eyes, I released all locks on my remaining energy and became nothing more than a glowing blue spirit. My earthly body exploded into a wall of blue energy. I became a wall of protection from the oncoming water. The water hit me full-force, but I stood firm. Eventually, the wall collapsed and became harmless water in the ocean.

But I wasn't done yet. The chaos and evil of the planet was still running amok. With a powerful shift in my energy, I became a vortex in the sky in order to draw the darkness into a single point. It was difficult, but since I was no longer of this world, I managed to contain the darkness into a brand-new Soul Dew.

It was over.

I passed on to a light shining before me. As I drew nearer, it grew brighter. Memories of my life seemed to pass by me, voices echoing in my soul – Latias... Lugia... Jacob and Karen... My whole life was playing out right in front of me.

I could see the gates of Heaven approaching. I was finally going to be at peace...

Huh?! A large, tan dragon was standing in front of the gates, preventing me from entering.

Wait a minute... I _knew_ that dragon!

_Dragonite... Mother?_

The dragon looked at me with a smile across her muzzle.

_Hello, Latios._

_Please move, Mother. I must get through._

But Dragonite would not let me pass.

_You are not ready to enter here yet._

_Huh?_

_The world still needs you. Latias needs you. The world must remain in balance._

_But Mother..._

I shook my head to clear my vision. Two humans, a boy and a girl appeared next to her – Brian and Terra?!

"Latias and Latios must remain on the planet in order to keep the balance of the world in check," said Brian.

"When both you and Latias perform the Crossover again, _then_ you will be admitted here." Terra was standing firm.

_But that will not be for many millennia yet, _said Dragonite, taking both of their hands.

_What do I do now?_ I asked. _I sacrificed myself to save the world._

_Go back to the planet. Latias is waiting. Say "Hi" to your father for me._

Little did I know that I had activated mine and Latias' Sight Sharing during this whole time. However, what she and the others saw was merely a white void.

I turned away from the gates of Heaven and returned to the planet. I did not look back –I would see them again sometime. I still had a job to do.

I awoke for the first time inside an egg that I had been reincarnated in. It was very cramped and I had to tuck my neck under my torso to fit. I couldn't take the small space anymore!

I used my nose to break out of the egg. Slowly but surely, I chipped my way out of the egg and took my first breath of air in my new life.

Opening my eyes, I saw several figures looking down at me. A red dragon, a silver-white behemoth and two humans were looking down at me. Somehow, I felt as if I knew those figures...

Wait a minute. I _did_ know them! It was my sister, Latias, my father, Lugia and my human friends, Jacob and Karen.

"Welcome back, Latios," said Jacob. "We've been waiting for you."

_Hello... my friends,_ I said in a meek voice. _What did I miss?_

Lugia smiled and took me in his mammoth wings. I felt like a newborn chick in the hands of its colossal parent. _Come with us. We've got a lot to talk about._

It was about three months before I had fully grown back into my old form. Six weeks after that and I had fully recovered my psychic powers and my old personality. Jacob and Karen raised me along with my sister, Latias, inside our hidden garden.

I had been reincarnated and given the task of protecting both the Soul Dew and Latias. However, Latias was the same as she always was. She would go out to the boat races and play pranks on the boaters. It was harmless fun – she would turn invisible, get under the boats in the water and completely turn them around so that they headed the wrong way. She would also latch onto the back of the leader and pull him to a stop, allowing the others to pass him.

Against my better judgment, I sometimes joined her. I would telepathically create waves out of nowhere and cause the driver to be launched into the water away from the competition. Sometimes, I also mess with the controls using my psychic abilities so that either the steering wheel would suddenly turn him or her down the wrong canal or stall the engine so that they completely stopped in the middle of a wide turn.

It was fun to make the people of Altomar think that the races were cursed, but we played pranks at such random intervals that it was always a riot for the crowds.

Have you been wondering what ever happened to Giovanni and Lugia? I'll tell you. A few days before I hatched from my egg, Latias managed to track down Giovanni as he was boarding a ferry out of Altomar. She posed as a police officer and "arrested" him on the spot, delivering him to the Altomar City Jail. Lugia, meanwhile, had returned to his former position as "Guardian of the Sea". He now watches over the planet's oceans and skies in order to keep the forces of evil and chaos in check. I don't know how he does it, but our father has been able to stay hidden from mankind and only appears in legends and other peoples' dreams. He's managed to keep his "status" at "Legendary". He does a much better job at keeping his status at "Legendary" than either Latias or I do! That's probably because my sister and I are always playing pranks on the people of Altomar.

Years from now, I can look back on the day that my life changed forever. The only thing that remained of my human life was my own memory of it. But I don't like to dwell on it. I soon realized that it takes just one person to change the entire fate of the planet; it's _what_ you do and _how_ you do it that can tip the balance of fate in either direction. I was once human like you, but I was given a gift that changed the planet into what it is today.

My name is Latios... and this is my story.

**END**

Get the other side of the story in "Unsung Heroes Red Version: Latias' Story".


End file.
